Shaquille O’Neal, former NBA star and TV personality, is being accused of evading legal service for a class-action lawsuit filed against celebrities who endorsed the failed cryptocurrency company FTX. FTX investor Edwin Garrison filed the lawsuit claiming his crypto account went bankrupt after being exposed to the celebrity endorsements. O’Neal was listed as one of several high-profile celebrities, including Tom Brady, Steph Curry, Giselle Bündchen, and Larry David, who endorsed the company.
Garrison’s lawyers stated that O’Neal was the only person avoiding service and that the allegations against him were among the most severe. They also noted the lengths he has gone to avoid being served. The attorneys sent out an email to the defendants on Tuesday, calling out O’Neal for “evading service.”
O’Neal was a major celebrity endorser of FTX, promoting the company on Twitter and appearing as an official brand ambassador with the tagline “I’m all in. Are you?” However, FTX filed for bankruptcy in November 2021, and its founder and CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, was charged with swindling investors and customers out of billions of dollars.
O’Neal distanced himself from the company, claiming that he was just a “paid spokesperson.” However, Garrison’s lawyers claimed that O’Neal was happy to promote the company while keeping his finances away from it.
The lawsuit claims that the defendants never disclosed the compensation they received for promoting FTX. The defendants are expected to respond to the suit by April 14. A representative for O’Neal has not yet commented on the matter.rrrtttfh c
